Six The Musical – Paramount Theatre

Giveaway: I’m giving away a free ticket to this show. See details here. (Update 7/20/23: Congrats to Rylie!)

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Amazing seats to Six The Musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss at Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway at the Paramount Theatre. All-female cast/band portray the stories of King Henry VIII’s #six queen wives and find individual significance independent of a man. Packed energetic audience. Shoutout to the incredible Khaila Wilcoxon and Storm Lever! #musical #girlPower #Tudor

Synopsis from the Theatre: Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!

Reviewed Performance: 7/12/23 – Opening Night

Type: Concert-like Storytelling Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Storytelling several scenes

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Storytelling several locations

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You might appreciate this more if you’re familiar with King Henry VIII’s wives. I personally only knew a little about Anne Boleyn.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Not really, it was 6 queens singing/telling their own separate stories

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Recommendation: See it if either you enjoy

  • Pop diva or girl group concerts
  • Or concert-like musicals similar to Striking 12, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Pump Boys and Dinettes where the actors address the audience and tell stories (as opposed to acting out the stories)

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Probably not, but it was good

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: The program didn’t mention this, but I’d be surprised if all the actors in a national tour show like this weren’t Equity.

Total Number of Actors: 6

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast

Length (Including Any Intermission): 1.5 hours

Intermission: No

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Favorite Queen Divas: My favorite actress was Khaila Wilcoxon (Catherine of Aragon) for her animated expressions and attitude. For some reason, she also reminded me of Patina Miller. A close second was Storm Lever (Anne Boleyn), who wouldn’t stop mentioning her beheading. I recognized her voice from Summer The Donna Summer Musical as Duckling Donna. It’s good to see her back in Seattle!
  • Tinder: I loved how they incorporated catfishing and swiping in Anne of Cleves (Oliva Donalson) story.
  • Costumes: The metal-looking costumes were shiny, glittery, and brilliant. They sort of reminded me of samurai suits.
  • Quips: The biting repartee between the queens was delightful. I especially enjoyed when the witty remarks were cutting. Clap back!

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Hype: As one of the most popular shows on-stage today, the excitement around Six The Musical show was palpable. The audience was enthusiastic and even a guy on the front row stood up and danced in the middle of a song. But like Hamilton, I feel like Six The Musical is overhyped. Both shows were obviously well-written and well-executed masterpieces, but the overhyped worldwide buzz around the two musicals made me expect more. That being said, if you ever have the opportunity, you should definitely see Six The Musical … it’s just no The Wiz, The Prom, or The Book of Mormon.

Theatre Company: National Tour with Broadway Across America

Venue: Paramount Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Medium to Expensive

Ticket Affordability Options: Seattle Theatre Group might partner with an organization you’re affiliated with for discount tickets. For example, I believe UW employees and students are eligible for an organization discount.

Dates: July 12 – 23, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid street parking and paid garage parking. The best parking garage is under the convention center w/ the entrance on Pike around the Pike and Terry intersection. Last I checked, this is one of the cheapest, least busy, and closest garages. Alternatively, you can probably find street parking as you move closer to the West Precinct (810 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101). Do NOT park where the Paramount subscribers park. Last I checked, they usually park in the garage attached to the Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Joan Marcus and Patrick Gray.

@showsiveseen Amazing seats to @SIX 👑 by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss at @Seattle Theatre Group & Broadway at the Paramount Theatre. All-female cast/band portray the stories of King Henry VIII's #six #queen wives & find individual significance independent of a man. Packed energetic audience. Shoutout to the incredible @Khaila Anye Wilcoxon & @Storm Lever. Photos by Joan Marcus & Patrick Gray. Review: showsiveseen.com/6075 #musical #girlPower #theatre #Tudor ♬ Ex-Wives – SIX
The North American Six Aragon tour. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Storm Lever as Anne Boleyn (center) in the North American Six Aragon tour. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Olivia Donalson as Anna of Cleves (center) in the North American Six Aragon tour. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Khaila Wilcoxon as Catherine of Aragon (center) in the North American Six Aragon tour. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Gabriela Carrillo as Catherine Parr (center) in the North American Six Aragon tour. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Courtney Mack as Katherine Howard in the North American Six Aragon tour. Photo by Patrick Gray.
The North American Aragon tour of Six. Photo by Patrick Gray.

Harry Connick, Jr. A Holiday Celebration – Concert – Benaroya Hall

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Harry Connick Jr’s Christmas concert at Benaroya Hall. He’s still handsome, talented, & charming as ever. Classic xmas vocal jazz music w/ a novel New Orleans flair!

Synopsis from the Theatre: Harry Connick Jr. invites you to celebrate the holidays with him and his band as 2022 draws to a close. One of the most beloved artists performing holiday music, Harry has been thrilling audiences around the world for decades with his definitive take on Christmas classics, as well as his own originals and fan favorites like “(It Must’ve Been Ol’) Santa Claus” and “When My Heart Finds Christmas.” Harry Connick Jr. has exemplified excellence in every aspect of the entertainment world. He has received recognition with multiple Grammy and Emmy Awards as well as Tony nominations for his live and recorded musical performances, his achievements on screens large and small, and his appearances on Broadway as both an actor and a composer. He has sold millions of holiday albums which have become the soundtrack to Christmas for fans around the world.

Reviewed Performance: 12/19 Opening Night

Type: Concert

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes – It included strings, brass/reed, drums, bass, synthesizer(?), and a of course Harry on the piano. The brass section often performed downstage closer to the audience to showcase their talent. The string section actually mostly consisted of Seattle Symphony members!

Recommendation: See it if you’re either a fan of Christmas music, Harry Connick Jr, New Orleans music, or jazz.

Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes, this is the first time I’ve seen him live.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Yes

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.75 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Length: 2 hours

Intermission: No but we desperately needed one. Many audience members frequently stepped away mid-concert to use the restroom. I’m not sure how customary it is for concerts to include an intermission though. Michael Buble in the Tacoma Dome did not have one. I don’t think Diana Krall at Chateau Ste Michelle Winery did either. However, Norah Jones in Benaroya Hall did include an intermission.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Voice: Harry’s albums don’t do his voice justice. He has a beautiful baritone that’s especially rich with a pinch of vocal fry (in a good way) when he sings deeper notes. It was a treat listening to him with Benaroya Hall’s superior acoustics.
  • “Not Boring” Jazz: Unfortunately, jazz has a reputation of being boring. Think of elevator music. Even an episode in The Office said, “There’s nothing classier than boring jazz music.” Fortunately, the performers kept the audience entertained and this concert didn’t fall prey to the common stereotype. The only times I was close to getting bored was during the occasional long intros that jazz is known for.
  • Harpejji Instrument: Harry introduced many people in the audience to a new instrument that’s part guitar and part piano. Imagine percussing your fingers directly on the strings of a tiny piano similar to how you would touch the strings on the neck of a guitar. The result sounds most closely to a guitar. It’s possible to even modify the sound with vibrato hand technique that slightly oscillates the pitch. Harry also modified the sound with a wah-wah pedal that makes the harpejji sound funky.
  • Lighting Design: The colored lights projected on the walls of the stage were a nice festive touch. I don’t think these lights are unique to this concert though. If I’m not mistaken, the Seattle Men’s Chorus (which I was a part of!) does the same thing for their Christmas concert at Benaroya Hall.
  • Piano Talent: From the perspective of someone who was classically trained in piano and who sometimes sings while playing the piano, I was struck by Harry’s effortless improvisation and his use of the concert grand piano keyboard’s entire length. I was also impressed that he maintained complex finger-key technicality while singing without a hitch. I wish there was a good way to see his face and fingers at the same time but you usually get one or the other for piano players … or worse, the back. Speaking of face, it was fascinating to watch him closely track the band members during their solos as he determines when to chime in on the piano. He’s not just a pretty face yall! Sometimes God gives with two hands.
  • New Orleans Flair: The heavy New Orleans big band influence on the repertoire was an innovative way to re-imagine the Christmas theme for those tired of the same old cash cow Christmas songs. It was also a fresh way for Harry to re-invent his jazz sound. I like how he explained New Orleans music. Basically, go heavy on the piano’s base keys and sprinkle a little of the right hand like hot sauce … then you can occasionally slam down any couple of notes! I’ll be honest, sometimes the piano or band sounded like cacophony at the climactic moments with this music style … in a good way! It’s funny how he admitted that neither he nor his Cajun(?) step mom knew what one of the songs (“Papa Noel”) was saying.
  • Drummer: It was entertaining watching Arthur Latin II’s talent on the drums. This is coming from someone who typically doesn’t find drums that interesting (albeit necessary in modern music). There were times when he was even playing the drums on one hand and the tambourine in the other. Apparently, Neal Caine (the bassist), Harry, and Arthur have been performing together since the 90s.
  • Charisma: There was a funny segment where Harry graciously stopped someone in the front row from excessively recording. He said something like, “Now I don’t mind yall taking occasional videos or pictures but I noticed you’ve been recording since we’ve started the concert. You can already make a million dollars off that long footage! Now there’s two reasons you shouldn’t be recording so much 1) You gotta live in the moment especially when I’m 2 feet away from you! 2) Nobody looks good at the angle you’re pointing your phone at me. It’s 45 degrees below my face and my ENT doesn’t even get to see this much up my nose.” He then proceeded to take a selfie with her and mention her name frequently to his rendition of “Blue Christmas.”
  • Audience Participation: Like many other typical Christmas concerts, Harry let the audience sing along with him for one song (“Silent Night”). Of course he had to say Seattle was the best audience he’s heard on the tour! Also, at the ending encore, a couple started to dance in the aisle. Harry cheered them on but an usher told them to sit down! 🙁
  • Song Commentary: Harry’s commentary on each of the songs was usually interesting or funny. For example, he remarked how “What Are You Doing New Years Eve” was basically a beta guy about to get turned down. And apparently, Judy Garland’s original lyrics to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” were a downer especially with the line “Until then [Christmas] we’ll have to muddle through somehow.”

Rant(s)

  • Spotlight: They were sometimes aimed at the wrong person or mistimed. Maybe we can blame it on a case of the Mondays. What a weird day to host a performance! For theatre folks, Mondays and Tuesdays are basically their weekend.
  • Beginning: The concert started slightly shaky. Harry seemed a little awkward and not as energetic. Plus, I could hear him and the band slightly not in tune with each other. At least it shows he’s not using autotune! After about 2-3 songs, they hit their stride. Again, Mondays!
  • Missing Favorite Songs: My favorite Harry Connick Jr Christmas songs were missing for the concert set list. I was looking forward to hearing “I’m Gonna Be the First One” and “The Christmas Waltz.” To be fair, these are obscure songs in his old albums and he was trying to promote his new one. Although, I’d argue that he could have replaced the non-Christmas concert songs with these two.
  • Band Singing: It was difficult to hear what the band was singing in “It Must’ve Been Ole Santa Claus.” Maybe they could add an overhead unidirectional microphone above the band for those short moments.

Other Thought(s)

  • Sheet Music Score: Who composes the score for the band and orchestra? Is it Harry? Let me know in the comments of my social media links below!
  • Accent: I didn’t know Harry had a slight accent and I couldn’t place the region. I never noticed it when he was a regular cast member on Will and Grace. Let me know in the comments of my social media links below what you think it is.
  • Center Band Member: There was a guy at a console centerstage behind Harry between the strings and brass. Sometimes, he would queue the band when Harry did not, which by the way could be difficult with not all band members (especially the bass player) directly facing this mysterious person. What was he playing? I think it was a synthesizer but I could only identify one song with synthesized sound (an organ). Let me know in the comments of my social media links below!
  • Variety: While this show is billed as a Christmas concert, they performed other styles like New Orleans (as mentioned above), a Jazz standard (“Someday When I’m Awful Low”), & his original blockbuster hit (“It Had to be You”).
  • Set List: Below are the songs I could remember
    • Sleigh Ride
    • Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
    • When My Heart Finds Christmas
    • It Had to Be You (from the movie When Harry Met Sally… )
    • The Way You Look Tonight
    • Blue Christmas
    • Silent Night
    • I Pray on Christmas
    • The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
    • (It Must’ve Been Ol’) Santa Claus
    • Please Come Home for Christmas (aka “Bells Will Be Ringing”)
    • Papa Noel
    • Make it Merry (Title song of his new Christmas album)
    • Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
    • What are You Doing New Year’s Eve
    • Someday When I’m Awfully Low
    • A New Orleans-style ending song with lots of colorful instrumentation that I couldn’t identify … sorry!

Venue: Benaroya Hall

Venue Physical Address: 200 University St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Very Expensive

Dates: Only December 19 – 20, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: I usually walk or transit here especially since the lightrail station is directly underneath Benaroya Hall. Other than that, there’s obviously paid garage/street parking since this venue is in downtown. I think the cheapest garage lot is generally the Russell Investments Center garage (1301 2nd Ave #1950, Seattle, WA 98101). I don’t recomment parking in the Benaroya Hall garage since it’s really expensive and I imagine it takes a long time to exit after a performance.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: Additional pictures under below video are by Nick Klein Photography.

@showsiveseen @harryconnickjr “A #Holiday Celebration” #Christmas #concert at #BenaroyaHall. He’s still handsome, talented, & charming as ever. Classic #xmas vocal #jazz music w/ a novel #NewOrleans flair! #HarryConnickJr ♬ It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Harry Connick Jr.

Rich Gray’s Forbidden Xmas – Cabaret/Concert – Showtunes Theatre Company

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Rich Gray’s Forbidden Xmas w/ Showtunes Theatre Company at Cornish Playhouse At Seattle Center. Strong vocals in this revival of a satirical #cabaret-like #Christmas concert show celebrating life in #Seattle & #PugetSound. #theatre #PNW

Synopsis from the Theatre: Showtunes brings back a Seattle holiday tradition. Rich Gray’s Forbidden Xmas is the perfect pairing for the 2022 holiday season in the northwest. A bit of silly seasonal satire for the whole family. Make this part of your holiday tradition this year. Forbidden Xmas was an annual holiday tradition for many years in Seattle. Written by Seattle’s own Rich Gray, this holiday musical parody show is updated to poke fun and celebrate the northwest during the holidays. It’s time to bring this hit back to the northwest with some new songs and sketches as well as some of the favorites from its past productions in the 90s. Showtunes brings back Forbidden Xmas to life at Cornish Playhouse this December 17 and 18 with an all-star Seattle cast.

Reviewed Performance: 12/17 Opening Night – THERE ARE ONLY TWO SHOWS in this limited run so buy your ticket today if you want to see this show!

Type: Cabaret-like Concert Show

World Premiere: No – This is an updated revival of an old annual show from the 90s.

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Recommendation: See it if 1) you like satirical cabarets with no plot 2) and if you’ve lived in Seattle for a couple of years. I’ve lived here for 6 years so I was able to appreciate most of the Seattle references.

Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: The program doesn’t mention this but I wouldn’t be surprised if all 4 main actors were Equity.

Length: 2 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Song about Seattle Theatre: As a person who loves to watch musicals about musicals (like The Prom and Something Rotten!), I enjoyed the song that mentioned many Seattle theatre references. It was one of the first songs … maybe “Cash Cow”. I’m proud to say that I understood all the sly references and saw all the shows they mentioned that are currently playing! 🙂
  • Theatre Kids Song: Other than the song mentioned above, I particularly enjoyed “In Her Eyes,” which was about how children can still enjoy shows while adults (like me!) nitpick problematic elements.
  • Favorite Lines: When Jason Kappus said, “I’m gonna drain the ole goose. Honk! Honk!” Or when Billie Wildrick as a caroler greeted, “Wassail!” There was a funny lyric that said Seattle “men smell like moss and Women like it.” During a song about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) someone said, “I couldn’t help but notice that you’re singing in a minor key.”

Rant(s)

  • Off-brand Songs: The show could have done without two songs that were randomly aboutthe Titanic movie and Seattle sports. These two songs felt out of place in a Christmas show. It didn’t help that I don’t like sports either.
  • Microphones: Most of the time, all 4 main performers were equally/adequately mic’ed. But I noticed in the beginning that 3 performers drowned out one person. There were also 4 “ensemble” performers who doubled as stage crew. The group microphone that the 4 minor performers shared was effective but when they had to speak/sing several feet away from their group microphone, it was difficult to hear them and it obviously didn’t equalize well with the 4 main performers. I suggest giving the 4 ensemble performers microphones when they’re not at their main group microphone.

Theatre Company: Showtunes Theatre Company

Venue: Cornish Playhouse

Venue Physical Address: 201 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Medium

Dates: Only December 17 – 18, 2022

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: There are paid lots and paid street parking. I usually park on Mercer to the West of 1st Ave. There’s usually also a lot of street parking around Safeway. If there’s an event in Seattle Center or Climate Pledge Arena, street parking is usually limited and much more expensive. In those cases, I’ll park further north up on Queen Anne Hill.

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@showsiveseen "Rich Gray's Forbidden #Xmas" w/ Showtunes Theatre Company at Cornish Playhouse. Strong vocals in this revival of a satirical #cabaret-like #Christmas #concert show celebrating life in #Seattle & #PugetSound. Review: showsiveseen.com/2924 #theatre #PNW ♬ Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays – *NSYNC

A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us – Concert – Taproot Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): A Night with the Russells show at Taproot Theatre by one of Seattle theatre scene’s most prominent performer families today. Variety concert w/ Christian, Jamaican, pop culture, & Broadway music hits. Thrilled that they included a song from Aida. #showtunes #musicals #family

Type: Concert

Recommendation: See it if you’re familiar with the Russells and their work in the Seattle theatre scene.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars

Other Rant(s)

  • Stick with the forehead microphones. The switching between handheld and forehead microphones was distracting. Plus, the handheld microphones sounded like karaoke.
  • I loved that Sarah Russell sang something from the Aida musical. But please choose a more accessible/catchy/recognizable song than “Easy as Life!” Maybe “Written in the Stars,” “The Gods Love Nubia,” or “Elaborate Lives.”

Theatre Company : Taproot Theatre

Venue: Taproot Theatre – 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103

Price: $$ (Medium)

Dates: Sep 21 – Oct 29, 2022

Seating: Assigned

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Other Media:

@showsiveseen “A Night w/ the #Russells: The Legacy of Us” show at @taproottheatre by one of Seattle #theatre scene’s most prominent performer families today. #Variety #concert w/ Christian, #Jamaican, pop culture, & #broadway music hits. Thrilled that they included a song from Aida. #showtunes #musicals #family ♬ We Are Family (1995 Remaster) – Sister Sledge
L to R: Faith Bennett Russell, Be Russell, and Sarah Russell in A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.
Faith Bennett Russell in A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.
L to R: Sarah Russell, Be Russell, and Faith Bennett Russell in A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade.
Be Russell in A Night with the Russells: The Legacy of Us at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Robert Wade. 

SHe Said – Musical – Broadway Performance Hall

Elevator Pitch/Thoughts/Tweet: “SHe Said” world premiere show by Jen Ayers at Broadway Performance Hall. Mashup between a concert & “one-ish” person musical. Reminiscent of a gentler “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” show. Very Seattle. Fascinating wife’s perspective as her husband transitions to a trans woman. Cool background videos. Packed audience! Lots of love & support. #transgender

Type: Musical/Concert

Recommendation: See it if you like “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” or one-person shows or Seattle music.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 stars

Other Rant(s)

  • Background vocal volume needs to be increased. I could tell there was good harmony but I could barely hear it.

Other Rave(s)

  • Pretty nifty how the program included the lyrics. Reminds me of compact disk case inserts from back in the day.

Venue: Broadway Performance Hall (Seattle Community College) – 1625 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: $$ (Medium)

Dates: October 6 to October 9, 2022

Seating: General Admission

Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Link(s):

Other Media:

@showsiveseen “SHe Said” world premiere show by #JenAyers at Broadway Performance Hall. Mashup between a #concert & “one-ish” person #musical. Reminiscent of a gentler Hedwig show. Very #Seattle. Fascinating wife’s perspective as her husband transitions to a #trans ♬ Forever Love – Jen Ayers
Mike Mitchell Photographer
Mike Mitchell Photographer
Mike Mitchell Photographer
Mike Mitchell Photographer
Mike Mitchell Photographer
Mike Mitchell Photographer
Ailisa Newhall Photographer
Ailisa Newhall Photographer
Ailisa Newhall Photographer
Ailisa Newhall Photographer
Ailisa Newhall Photographer
Ailisa Newhall Photographer